Love In A Time of Peace
by Just-Sparks
Summary: The three Potter children wear their hearts on their sleeves in a time of calm, a quarter of a century after their father vanquished the Dark Lord. These are their stories. Disclaimer: The characters that J.K. Rowling created are entirely her own, and I am simply borrowing them. The OC's are of course mine.
1. Chapter 1

"Aunt Hermione?" Albus Potter's voice speaks tentatively, peeking into the Malfoy family study.

"Yes Albus?" the voice of his Aunt filters out warmly from within the room.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Albus questions, entering the room slowly.  
"Just give me one minute. I need to write down the last paragraph of this parchment roll, and then you can have my full attention,"

Spying his aunt occupying the chair behind her desk while scribbling furiously on a sheaf of parchment, Albus turns and scans the multiple rows of books in one of the cases, no doubt purchased by his Uncle Draco for her. It is a well known fact that Hermione Malfoy loves books. A love that had been passed down to their twins, Carina and Scorpius Malfoy. Never were the children or their mother in want of books, that could be certain.

The scratching of the quill on her desk ceases a few moments later, allowing her to afford a gaze toward her surrogate nephew. Watching the young man of nineteen lost in thought, a crease in his brow at whatever occupies his mind, slightly worries the older witch. Rarely did much trouble the young wizard, other than the constant need to prove and distinguish himself outside of his own family.

"You seem troubled. Is something wrong dear?"

"I wanted to talk to you about-"

Before he can finish his sentence, a blonde haired boy strides confidently into the room, effectively silencing the statement Albus had planned on making. The change in Albus can be seen almost instantaneously, after spying his peer. His body stiffens before he glances away towards the ground, taking a sudden interest in the shoes upon his feet.

"Albus," Scorpius says, nodding his head to the side in acknowledgement, before shifting his gaze towards his mother.

"Mum, Dad, Carina and I were wondering if you'd like to keep score of the Quidditch game we're about to play,"  
"Well, actually Albus and I-,"

"It's fine, really Aunt Hermione. I can come back another later. Enjoy your game," Albus stutters out, attempting to make a break for the door.

Before he can reach the exit however, Scorpius reaches out to grasp his left arm to stop the other boy, gazing at him steadily.

"You can stay, you know. We actually need an extra person to make the teams even, if you care to join," Scorpius says in a softer voice that his mother has rarely ever heard him use.

Cocking her head to the side, Hermione continues to look on with a new interest, wondering what the bloody hell is going on. A pink flush rises to Albus' cheeks, as he flicks his gaze up at her son cautiously. Albus had always been a shy boy, unlike her Scorpius. He too had inherited his father's outgoing manner, as Albus had inherited Harry's innately quiet nature.

"I'm not that good, compared to the lot of you. I wouldn't be of much help,"

"What are you talking about Albus? You're one of the best fliers I know, next to me of course," Scorpius winks down at the shorter, blue eyed boy.

"You're so full of yourself Scor," Albus quietly admonishes.

"Am I, or am I not the best flier you've ever seen?"

"I believe James would disagree with you."

"Of course he would. I'm not asking for his opinion though, I'm asking for yours."

"You'll always be the best to me, Scor. You know that," Albus murmurs, glancing down again at his feet.

It hadn't taken long for Hermione to deduce the feeling behind the words being spoken. Suddenly, she feels the heat of embarrassment at being caught in the middle of a clearly private discussion. Casting a silent Disillusionment Charm, she quietly walks out of the room, leaving both boys to continue their conversation.

"Do I?" Scorpius asks, cocking an eyebrow at him, while he crosses his arms.

"You should,"

"Why is that, Albus?"

"Arghh. Do you need me to spell it out for you?"

"That would be preferable, yes."

"You bloody tosser," Albus whispers under his breath.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you?"

"I care about you, alright! It's not as if you didn't already know this. Half the school is aware, apparently. A fact which, I'm sure, they have wasted no time in telling you!" Albus spits out angrily, while raising his voice.

"You're cute when you're angry," Scorpius states, before advancing on the other Slytherin.

"What're you on about?"

"You are so clueless."

Rolling his eyes, Scorpius closes the gap, pulling Albus close against his body as he does so. The movement causes Albus' breath to catch in his throat, and his body to seize up. Leaving no room for argument, the blonde leans down, pressing his lips into the other wizard's. A small whine emits the latter's mouth, as the taller of the two presses his tongue against his mouth. However, Albus pulls away, glaring up at Scorpius.

"Is this your idea of a joke?"

"You've known me long enough to know I don't joke when it comes to something like this, Al."

"Have I? For months, you've known how I feel, and yet you have not said a word. Now, all of a sudden you decide you want to snog me, for, for what?"

"I had to be sure I was not merely a passing fancy for you."  
"Why would you ever think that you could be, Scor?" Albus inquires, slowly calming down.

"Just imagine for a moment what would happen if you became my boyfriend, and then a few months later, you decide that you've changed your mind about me? We're practically family! Even though we are not related by blood, you have always called my mum and dad Aunt Hermione and Uncle Draco. The fallout of a break up like that, would be hard on not just us, but everyone else as well,"

"You want me to be your boyfriend?" Albus chokes out.

"Of course I do! Have you not been listening to a word I've spoken? You're the only one I see, Al," Scorpius murmurs, cupping Albus' left cheek.

This time it's the dark haired wizard who jumps forward, wrapping his arms around the taller Slytherin. Embracing each other fervently, neither notices the footsteps of another enter the room. Carina Malfoy spies the pair, and smirks. Looking through her grey eyes and long blonde hair, the dainty witch watches the pair spring apart in amusement, noting they do not stray far from each other.

"Finally wised up, have you? I'll leave the pair of you to it then. The Quidditch game can wait, as you both are otherwise engaged at the moment. See you both later,"

The young witch saunters off, singing happily to herself as she makes her way down the hall, glad that her twin brother is finally allowing himself to be happy. Within the room, the pair of wizard's resume their embrace, glad to be left to their own devices once again.


	2. Chapter 2

A tapping at the window behind alerts Harry Potter to the letter waiting for him, hanging from the family owl, Dora. Standing up, he opens the window, allowing her inside. Slipping her a treat that had lain in a bowl ready in waiting for her return, he exchanges it for the letters she currently has for him. It had been two weeks since the children had returned to Hogwarts after a very interesting Christmas break. One in which he and the rest of the collective family had learned that his son Albus and Scorpius had just recently become an item. The shock had been felt all around, however, no one said a word against it. For Harry, the happiness upon his son's face had been enough for him.

While the Potters' eldest son James enjoys cracking jokes, pranking, and causing general mayhem, Albus has always been the more serious of the pair. Even Lily had inherited more Weasley in her than Albus had, causing his and Ginny's middle child to feel the odd one out on many occasions, including family functions. To witness him radiating happiness and confidence as the pair had stood side by side each other during their announcement at a family dinner before Lily's winter break had ended, simply could not have made Harry any more elated for his son.

Accidentally slitting a paper cut into his hand as he reminisces, causes the wizard to break out of his reverie. Looking at the now blood stained envelope, he recognizes the quickly written scrawl of his eldest. Rarely ever writing home now that he had taken up a Quidditch position with the Bulgarian National Quidditch team, much to Ron's chagrin, a letter from him would have to mean serious business. After healing the cut with a simple healing spell, Harry tears open the letter, eager to read his son's words.

Scanning down the page, his jaw drops, and his hands begin to shake. Letting the letter fall from his grasp, his head falls into his hands, as he begins to cry. Walking in with a glass of water, Ginny immediately stops, shocked at the sight of her husband silently sobbing. Setting the glass down softly, she walks forward, embracing him as she begins to soothe him. Once the tears have ceased falling, Harry looks up at her with watery eyes, smiling.

"What's the matter love?"

"Our son has just informed me that very soon, we will be grandparents,"

"Grandparents! Bloody hell. That boy has some explaining to do. I am too young to be anybody's grandmother."

"Ginny, I understand, but you need to read his letter first. It will explain everything. As for me, I need to go prepare the guest bedroom for James and his fiancee,"

"FIANCEE?" Harry hears Ginny yelling as he swiftly exits the room.

HPGPHPGP

"James, are you sure about this? Your parents veel hate me," a woman with midnight black hair states, in a thick Bulgarian accent.

"I promise you Sofiya, my parents will love you," James states with conviction, as he stares up at his fiancee from his sitting position on their bed, in their shared flat.

"I am a stranger to them, who is making them grandparents while you are still a boy. If I ver them I vould hate me too,"

"My parents were young when they had me, Sofiya. While it's not the plan I had in mind for my life, I still would not trade you or Elena for anything,"

"I love you James," Sofia replies, bending down to kiss him soundly on the lips.

"I love you too," James murmurs, wrapping his arms around her middle, before quickly returning the kiss.

The sound of their floo system lighting up within the fireplace downstairs, causes the couple to break apart. Grabbing his wand, James signals for her to sit down and wait in their room, while he goes to apprehend the newest arrival in their home. He has barely touched the first step, when the sound of his mother's voice from downstairs fills the flat.

"James Sirius Potter! I know you're here! Do NOT make me come find you!"

"Mum, what are you doing here? I owled Dad earlier, telling him that we would arrive later today." James asks, bewildered to find his mother standing in the middle of their living room, looking positively livid.

"Firstly, young man, if you think that sending an OWL to inform us of the preeminent arrival of our FIRST grandchild will suffice, you are sorely mistaken. Secondly, two weeks ago when you visited for Lily's holiday break, you did not mention ONE word about a girlfriend, much less a FIANCEE!"

Stepping out of the fire, his father looks around the room, noticing his wife red in the face and a stunned James 10 feet away from her on the bottom steps of his staircase.

"I'm sorry son. I should have let you both tell her yourself," Harry says sheepishly, clearly embarrassed.

"Our son shagged his girlfriend and impregnated her without even mentioning she existed, and you're apologizing to him?" Ginny says exasperatedly, as she rounds on her husband in anger.

"Mum-,"

"Don't you mum me James Sirius. Did it ever occur to you that we might have wanted to meet her and at least have a cup of tea before you off and decided to make a lifetime promise that you CANNOT break! We don't know anything about this girl, and she's bearing our first grandchild, as well as marrying our son!"

"Ginny, please at least listen-"

"Listen, why should I listen? Do you even know what it means to be a parent, James? To love something so much, that you would do absolutely anything to protect it? Can you even fathom the task you are undertaking?"

"Yes, actually, I can," James states, stopping Ginny mid tirade.

"How is that-,"

The sound of a door cracking open and footsteps across the floor upstairs, stops Ginny in tracks. Walking down to stand by James with a thumb in her mouth, a beautiful little girl with a full head of curly brown hair moves to wrap her arms around his right leg, then gazes apprehensively at the strangers within the room. Running his right hand through her hair in an effort to calm the child's worries, his parents look on in shock. Leaning down, he moves to pick the little girl up in his arms, who instantly grips him around his neck tightly. Smiling at her in reassurance, he turns towards his own parents, once again.

"Mum, Dad, this is Elena, your granddaughter,"

In a dangerously soft tone, so as not to frighten the little girl any more than she had already been, "You better explain yourself, right now," Ginny demands.

Turning to Elena, James speaks in broken Bulgarian, to his parent's surprise. However, whatever he had said, causes her to allow him to put her on the ground. Nervously, she steps forward, reaching out for Harry's hand. Unsure of what else to do, the wizard allows her to take it. Tugging lightly, she turns in the direction from which she had come.

"What did you ask her to do?" Harry questions.

"I asked if she'd like to go show you the toys in her room,"

"Ah, okay. Well, er, I suppose I could do that. Will you two be fine down here?" Harry asks, glancing worriedly between his wife and his son.

"We'll be alright Dad, I promise,"

Watching her son carefully, Ginny chooses to remain calm for the moment, waiting for the explanation as to why her twenty one year old son is claiming a fully grown child as his own. Ignoring the searching glare, James walks over to the sofa and motions for his mother to sit down as well. Picking her battles, she walks over to where her son has indicated.

"Before you pass any judgement or make any comments, please allow me to fully explain. Afterward, you can say whatever you wish, agreed?"

Nodding, James takes this as his cue to continue.

"When I first came to this country to play Quidditch four years ago, I had no plans on becoming emotionally tangled with any one person. I had dated around at Hogwarts, but never anything serious. The first few months, I enjoyed the freedom that living on my own afforded me, including partying with my teammates and the like. Then, as you know, our team captains changed when Aleksandar Krum stepped down."

Pausing for a second to catch a breath, James takes in his mother's rapt attention, and uses the moment to his advantage.

"The owner of the team had been telling us for weeks during off season that he was searching for another captain, but could not find anyone he believed fit the qualifications. That is, until one day, when he hired Sofiya Daskalov. A team full of men, we thought that we were getting a free ride, having a female captain. Compared to the drill sergeant Krum had been, we figured that we would have it made, especially with it being off season. Oh, how wrong we were. Not only did she make us train more than Krum, but she kept us in line in all areas of our life, investing her time in kicking our arses when we had one too many Fire Whiskey's the night before. Krum had been strict, but he also had allowed us a lot of leeway, sometimes even joining in. Simply put, I hated her. More than anyone on the team, I argued with her constantly. For the first few months she was on the team, most practices ended in either one or both of us leaving the pitch in a fit of anger, after having ended practice with a yelling match on the field. Finally after one particularly heated argument, I said a few things I shouldn't have, and she left the pitch in tears. At that point, I realized how much of a cocky arse I was being. So, that night, I swallowed my pride, and sought her out at her flat."

Taking in another breath, James then continues to capitalize on his mother's quiet bearing.

"At first, she opened the door. Upon realizing it was me, she immediately slammed the door in my face, yelling at me to go away. I realized I deserved that, as well as the names she called me afterward. However, I was not giving up. That whole night, I sat outside her door, waiting for her to open up. I sang Yule carols, I quoted any book I could think of, until finally I wore her down in the wee hours of the morning. When she opened the door, a little girl's head poked out from behind her. I waved, but didn't acknowledge her beyond that, because I noticed how protective she became once I took notice of her. With Elena standing behind her, I apologized profusely, acknowledging how much of a wanker I had been. She thanked me, and then told me to make sure I was at practice later that day. There wasn't much to the conversation following that."

"In the next few days, I made a noticeable effort to get along with her, even standing up for her when another player began yelling at her. A few weeks later, our team became better than it had been the whole off season. Our first game of the year, the one in which our whole family attended, we trounced the Chudley Cannons easily, as you night, while the rest of the team went out for drinks, I remained behind. I had been on my way out with the guys, when Sofiya received an urgent owl from her mother, informing her that Elena had been hospitalized in our equivalent of St. Mungo's. I offered to fly her to the hospital, to make sure she had arrived safely. At first she had turned me down, but a few minutes later, she realized I was right in the fact that she was too emotional to travel alone,"

Inhaling a quick breath, James begins once again.

"Instead of leaving when we arrived, I helped her find her daughter, and remained with her the entire time. Eventually, the healers suggested that we leave for the evening, as they needed to keep Elena overnight. Surprising me, she agreed with them, and allowed me to fly her home. That night, I realized a few things. One, the woman that I had made out to be this terrible person, really just had a more serious view on life. Watching her with her daughter, I understood why she had to be, because she had been a single mom longer than I had been a legal adult. Following the night at the hospital, we became good friends. I began to spend more time with her and Elena, opting not to go out with the rest of the team at all for long stretches of time. One night, she asked me if I would watch Elena, so she could go out on a date. At that point, we were simply great friends, and Elena and I had already developed a strong bond. I consented, knowing that it wouldn't be so bad, since I had watched her before."

Turning away, James inhales a shaky breath this time, attempting to hold his rage within him.

"The wizard who came to pick up Sofiya seemed off to me instantly, from his eyes to his body mannerisms. However, I kept my mouth shut, as she seemed happy just to have a night out. She hardly ever allowed herself to have fun, so I just wanted her to be able to let loose, despite being slightly disappointed that it would not be with me. Three hours later, she came back sporting a black eye and a bloody nose. Luckily, Elena had been put to bed a few minutes before her mother had arrived. Immediately jumping up, I helped her to the sofa, using the healing spells Aunt Hermione had drilled into us as children. After mending her face, she let her head rest in my lap as she relayed the night's events. Long story short, the sorry excuse for a wizard I had met hours earlier had physically assaulted her once she refused to shag him. She gave him worse than she got, I promise you that."

Looking at his mother, the look of horror on her face causes him to have time to regain his emotions as well. After a few moments of silence, he no longer sees red.

"That night, as I fell asleep on her couch with her head resting on my knees as she snored, I felt a strange sensation inside of me. With my arm wrapped tightly around her, I felt a sense of completion that I never had before. Weeks went by, and if was nearing the anniversary of my first year with the team. Our last game of the year, we trounced the Tornadoes, effectively winning the Cup as I'm sure you remember. That night, even Sofiya went out with us all, leaving Elena with her mother. While she only had a few sips, I had measurably more so. So much that, Sofiya ended up helping me back to my flat. Outside of my door, I told her without any pause I thought she was the strongest, most beautiful woman I had ever met. Not bothering to think things through, I planted a kiss on her lips, which surprisingly she returned,"

"James Sirius Potter, if this is leading where I think it is-," Ginny begins.

"Mum, you promised not to interrupt!"

"I did, except in this instance, you'll have to understand. I don't want to hear about your sexual ventures, as exciting as I'm sure they were for you,"

"Not to worry. The kiss I just told you about is all that happened that night," James says, wagging his eyebrows at his choice of emphasis.

"Oh Merlin. Can you please just finish the story?"  
"Alright. So, after that, we didn't talk for a few days. With the off season just beginning, we did not have practice yet, as a treat for winning the World Cup. All the while, I agonized about that kiss, wondering whether I should go talk to her or wait for her to come to me. About a week later, a knock sounded on my door. When I opened it, who should appear, but Sofiya. She walked into the room, yelling at me for not saying a word to her for a week, and then she demanded to know if I really meant what I said when I was smashed. Without hesitation, I confirmed it to be true. Well, what followed was an awful lot of snogging and such. Things, I'm sure you wouldn't want to imagine me doing with any woman, including with my eventual fiancee. Now, you may ask questions."

"Where is Elena's birth father?"

"He was murdered, before she was even born,"

"That's terrible! Has Sofiya gotten over that?"

"The man who is Elena's birth father had been a one night stand. Something, I could never fault her for. However, it is very likely that if he had lived, he would not have been around very long."

"You've been together two years now, by my math. However, you have yet to disclose her age. Am I also correct in assuming that she is older than you?"

"She is, by six years,"

"I suppose it could be worse. James, are you absolutely sure this is what you want from life? I know you're smitten with her now, but what about in three years, or five, or ten? Can you really see this being a lifelong commitment? You've never been the committed type before, and you are also only twenty one. While I will admit, I can see already how you have changed, I just worry you're making a rush decision. This isn't a choice you make on a whim, darling."

"Mum, I know. I also know that there will never be another witch for me. I may be young, but I learned what true love was at a very early age because I had such wonderful role models all around me. You and Dad, Aunt Hermione and Uncle Draco, Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur, even Aunt Luna and Aunt Pansy, have all served as my guides. Your relationships are all based on love, and because of this, I am certain that she truly is the one,"

While still skeptical, the look that overtakes her son's face of pure happiness when talking about her, reminds her of herself with his father.

"I've heard so much about this woman, but have still yet to meet her. I think it's time I meet my future daughter in law," Ginny says, sighing in resignation.

"She's upstairs. I'll bring her down, after I fetch Dad and Elena,"

As he dashes up the stairs, the red haired witch prepares to meet the woman who had stolen her first born's heart. Harry walks down the stairs, accompanied by a smiling Elena. A few moments later, with her fingers laced between their son's, a woman whose beauty could rival Fleur's walks down the steps to greet them. The shy look of uncertainty mirrors that of her daughter's earlier. Stepping forward, Ginny opens her arms to her, while simultaneously saying, "Welcome to the family."


	3. Chapter 3

Grass sprinkled with fresh morning dew, falls underneath the pressure from the boots upon Lily Luna Potter's feet. Having decided to venture out into the muggle world yet again, in search of some evidence of her paternal grandmother's short years, she pads through the underbrush. Secretly, she hopes to find the knoll that she had spotted in the stolen memories from her father's private cupboard.

The fair weather around her feeds the energy within. Always enjoying the cooler climates of the Midlands of England, she had found an inner peace in venturing near the town where her namesake had lived many years ago. The town of Cokeworth below, with all of the brick houses so like each other, she wondered in which one her grandmother had lived. Turning her back, she treks on, finally plopping down underneath what looks to be an older tree.

From the moment that she had learned where her namesake had been derived from, Lily had felt a special kinship with the woman whose blood currently runs through her veins. Her father spoke of his mother with a quiet reverence, befitting of one who had wished desperately to know her, but had resigned himself to the fact that this could never be. His daughter, however, being the Ravenclaw that she is, could not resist searching for more. If she could not know her grandmother in person, she would at least learn what had shaped her into the woman that she had become.

A crack of a branch of some sort breaking underfoot, causes Lily to jerk her face shrewdly in the direction of the sound. Jumping up, she steps carefully toward the sound, taking care not to make too much noise. The intruder reveals himself quickly, stepping into the light.

"Who are you?" Lily demands immediately.

"Funny question for someone who is currently trespassing on private property, wouldn't you say?"

Stumped, Lily regards the newcomer with a guarded expression, knowing she had been caught.

"Do you plan on standing there, or will you actually do more than stare at me? I don't have all bloody day you know."

"I've been searching the area for a certain hill, and from the pictures I've looked through, this land matches the sceneries exactly. If you'd permit, I'd like to walk around this part a bit more," Lily states, her hands resting at her hips in defiance.

For a moment, the boy of medium height and curly brown hair glances over her, through his big blue eyes. In his mind, he realizes he should chase her off. However, her beauty surpasses his desire to do so.

"I suppose it would be alright. I should accompany you though, just to be sure you won't cause any trouble."

"That's agreeable enough."

Pulling off the leather pack with the Ravenclaw insignia, her new companion watches her somewhat apprehensively. Noticing the emblem, he clears his throat to speak.

"I've never seen that crest before. Where is it from?"

"It's from my school." Lily answers, always quick of mind.

"Where do you go?"

"A boarding school a ways from here. You probably haven't heard of it. It's an extremely exclusive one."

Lily avoids looking directly at him, distracted by the action of her pulling out the makeshift map she had drawn before. While only searching this current spot today, she had been looking for a few weeks for the little knoll that she had spotted within the pensieve in her Dad's office. Leaving out any elements involving the Wizarding World, the crudely constructed map could be read by anyone. Glancing up, Lily smiles slightly at the expression the stranger's face.

"I don't bite you know. I'm not going to do you in at any moment with the contents of my knapsack."

Blushing, the boy turns away, for a moment.

"What's that you have there?"

"It's a map of all the places I've searched so far. I have limited information to go off of to begin with, so I thought mapping it out would be the smart way to go."

"I've not met many girls who would draw a map to track anything at all. Most would just use their phone."

"I'm not like most girls." Lily murmurs, intensely focused on her hand drawn piece of parchment paper.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, the unidentified boy continues to stare at her.

"By the way, if we're going to be walking together, we should probably at least learn each other's names. I'm Lily, and you are?"

"Colin."

"Did you perhaps move here from Scotland?."

"No. My father is Scottish though, from what I hear." Colin replies, looking at the ground.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Lily states, glancing over with empathy in her eyes.

"He uh, he didn't exactly die. It's just that, it's always been me and me mum. He left when I was quite small. The sentiment is appreciated though."

A quiet anger swells within Lily, thinking about the unknown man who chose to leave a mother and his child. She had lost family members due to bravery, rather than lack thereof. At least she could be certain that the ones she longed to know were of firmer stock, which could not be said for the newly met Colin.

"That's terrible. I'm sorry all the same though."

"Thanks Lily."

The name feels foreign on his lips, but still a certain kind of wonderful. So far, the girl crouching on the ground below has left him with more questions than answers.

"From what I have here, we need to walk more North. The elevation that follows this path seems to be consistent with the higher ground that I've seen before. Ready?"

Nodding, the two begin the walk upwards. Skirting thicker entanglements of roots, and rock crags that would only slow them down, both finally clear the low hanging trees. Stepping out into the open field, Lily nearly sprints to the top, looking for the defining tree that would tell whether or not this is the place. Spying the rudimentary marks carved in the much taller tree in front of her, she dances in glee. Colin stands behind, watching the strange girl with genuine curiosity. Turning around, finally, he spies her green eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"What is so special about this spot, if I may?"

Sighing, she realizes this is probably the time to explain, at least to an extent.

"My grandmother lived not far from here in the town of Cokeworth when she was alive. I've spent the past few months attempting to trace any place she had been during the duration of her life. It sounds silly to most, but it's all I have left of her, other than pictures and such."

"A worthwhile venture, I suppose."

Ignoring the dismissing comment, Lily treads over to sit carefully down underneath the tree, throwing her bag beside her. Inhaling a deep breath, she closes her eyes and spreads out her arms, intent on soaking in her surroundings. Not wishing to stand there, Colin walks over and sits beside her.

"How old was your grandmother when she passed, if you don't mind my asking?" Colin speaks up from her left.

"21,"

"That's a frighteningly young age to die."

"I couldn't agree more. She died protecting my father from death in a horrible," she pauses, "car accident."

"Did your grandfather happen to survive the ordeal?"

"Unfortunately, no. My father was orphaned at the age of one. My great aunt and uncle raised him with their son. We only visit them once a year, occasionally visiting our cousins a few more times. It's safe to say, he does not have many happy childhood memories with them."

"That's awful."

"My father turned out to be a rare breed of abuse survivors, not passing down the abuse to his children. I count myself lucky for the man that he is."

Revealing something so private to a boy causes a blush to creep onto the pale of Lily's cheeks. Afraid of having to deal with the whole of the Potter and Weasley clans, as well as Hermione and Draco Malfoy, not many wizard boys dared to come close to her. Even disregarding her family, many had heard of her intensity and passion for spellwork, which intimidated any boy she had come across so far. It is just as well, because she herself had never been particularly interested in boys until this moment. Something about this muggle boy before her intrigues her. Perhaps, if only, because he has no idea who she is.

Over the course of the next few hours, the pair converse on a wide range of topics, with Lily steering clear of those that could present a potential risk for her blurting out something that would definitely need more explaining. When the sun begins sinking down into the horizon, both look at each other almost forlornly, knowing they must return to their own homes. Despite the wonderful day she has had, Lily realizes how grateful she is to be in a world filled with magic.

"Well, it was nice to meet you Lily," Colin says as he stands.

"You as well."

"Maybe we could meet here again sometime?" he asks hopefully.

"I'd like that," she agrees, smiling.

"Until next time then, Lily," he says softly, bending down to give her a kiss on the cheek, before disappearing shortly after.

"Boys," Lily shakes her head, as she walks off a distance so she can safely go home with her Ministry approved homemade portkey.

El Fin.


End file.
